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2026-07-26 17:26 UTC → 2026-07-29 05:16 UTC ·
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Detention of AKUT founder Nasuh Mahruki Mahruki, court upholds
On 16 July 2026, Nasuh Mahruki, founder and former president of Turkey’s AKUT search‑and‑rescue organisation AKUT, organisation, was taken into custody in Istanbul after a social‑media post about the 15 July 2016 coup attempt. Prosecutors opened a resen investigation, charging him with “inciting the public to inciting hatred and hostility” under Article 216 and ordered pre‑trial detention. He was transferred from his home to police headquarters and then to a magistrate, who approved his detention. By 26 July 2026, Mahruki 2026 he had been held for about ten days in Silivri Marmara Prison. His wife, Mine Mahruki, Prison, where his wife reported that he was placed in a cell designed built for 48 inmates but currently holding housing 54, describing the conditions as overcrowded. She said his health and health, morale and motivation were stable, thanked supporters, supporters and called for a swift, fair legal resolution. On 28 July 2026 a Turkish court rejected Mahruki’s petition to lift the detention. The judges cited the nature of the alleged incitement, the current evidentiary state, the need to gather further proof, a perceived flight‑risk, and the proportionality of continued custody, concluding that alternative judicial measures would be insufficient. Mahruki’s lawyer, Şehmus Tekik, argued that the post contained no such wording, describing the detention as a serious concern for the rule of law and an unlawful restriction of freedom of expression, and announced that the legal team will continue to challenge the ruling.